German doll manufacturer
Gotz Puppenmanufaktur International
[a]
(often referred to as Gotz Puppenfabrik or Goetz) is a German toy manufacturer, founded in
Rodental
,
Germany
, in 1950. This company was recognized internationally for their doll lines. Marianne and Franz Gotz were the founders of Gotz Puppenfabrik.
[1]
The company is known to have inspired the classic face mold of the
American Girl
doll line, back when the doll line was owned by
Pleasant Rowland
.
[2]
History Timeline
[
edit
]
1950:
Gotz Puppenfabrik was founded in 1950, by Marianne and Franz Gotz. Franz Gotz personally sold and delivered the dolls to their first customers. Gotz built the dolls out of papier-mache initially.
[1]
1957:
The doll parts were produced using the first model of the rotation-molding machine.
[1]
1964:
The first reproductions of Sasha Morgenthaler's original artist dolls were manufactured.
[1]
1986:
Pleasant Rowland, the creator of American Girl, used the model of a Gotz branded doll when she presented her idea to create Pleasant Company.
[2]
1987:
An American secondary branch location of the company was created in Baldwinsville, New York.
[1]
1989:
Carin Lossnitzer's and Sylvia Natterer's artist dolls were reproduced, leading to an increased consumer base.
[1]
1990:
A Hungarian and Budapest production center and secondary location were built.
[1]
1992:
The doll company was given the "Spiel Gut" award.
[1]
1994:
A Hungarian retail franchise was founded.
[1]
1997:
Gotz Puppenfabrik partnered with Pampolina, another doll company. A doll-and-child clothing line was released, in which children can wear the same outfits as their dolls.
[1]
1999:
The second generation, Gotz Family Anke Gotz-Beyer and Uwe Beyer, claimed the corporation management.
[1]
In Radisson, an American franchise and manufacturing plant of Goetz Dolls Inc. (another name for the company) was opened.
[3]
2000:
Gotz Puppenfabrik received the licensing of "Unser Sandmannchen."
[1]
2003:
Due to the declining popularity, the final shipment of Gotz Puppenfabrik dolls were ordered in Radisson.
[4]
2005:
A partnership was formed with the Margarethe Steiff GmbH company. The company was given the license, "Hase Felix," in conjunction with the release of a doll from the film, "Felix - Ein Hase auf Weltreise."
[1]
2007:
"Just Like Me" dolls were introduced as a concept.
[1]
2011:
"Haarwerk," a toy collection of cosmetics with styling heads, an enlarged version of the doll head that cuts off at the shoulders, was released.
[1]
Notes
[
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]
- ^
The
o
is a German
umlaut
. In case this letter is not available, it may be written as oe (e.g. in the company's homepage name www.goetz-puppen.de). In some cases the dots are simply ignored. Therefore one might as well find Goetz or Gotz instead of Gotz in the references.
References
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Models and
manufacturers
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| Asia
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| Europe
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| Germany
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| Other countries
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| Types of manufacture
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Collections
in museums
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| Related topics
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